Latrell Sprewell has more concerns beyond the Knicks’ lack of size. Now Sprewell believes new interim coach Don Chaney still has to prove he has the wherewithal to motivate the club after years of getting lit into by taskmaster Jeff Van Gundy.

“I don’t want it to get too relaxed,” Sprewell said. “It’s nice to be more relaxed but we still need to have a certain discipline about ourselves.

“I’m sure he would [get on us] but he doesn’t have the same demeanor and personality as Jeff,” Sprewell added. “I don’t know. We haven’t seen him that way. So we’ll have to see. Hopefully it won’t get to that point but you’d expect with so many games left, there’s going to be points when he’s going to have to get into the team. I didn’t know if it’s going to be like Jeff.”

Of all the players, Sprewell seems the only one who appears worried how this transition will turn out. Saturday night, he admitted it’s going to take a few games to get adjusted to Chaney but he did say Chaney is more receptive to suggestions, which is important to Sprewell, and likes his running-game approach.

“I don’t know, we’ll see, it’s too early to tell,” Sprewell said on whether the new atmosphere will be beneficial. “I think that’s yet to be determined.”

As of yesterday afternoon, Sprewell and Van Gundy hadn’t talked but that’s not to say the former Knicks coach didn’t get a hold of him last night. Sprewell, who missed Saturday’s morning shootaround when Van Gundy said good-bye, still would like to know the real reasons Van Gundy walked away. Sprewell said he doesn’t feel betrayed.

“Who am I to be disappointed when he decides to resign, I respect that,” Sprewell said. “It had to be something serious. I’m sure it’s more to it than him burning out.”